Droplet applicator



April 29, 1958 E. S. TUBIN DROPLET APPLIGATGR FiledJune '7. 1854,

Y R WN m wlw w @J 5ba E mw@ E United States DROPLET APPLICATER Eddie S. Tubin, Los Angeles, Calii.

Application June 7, 1954, Serial No. 434,7 1l

7 Claims. (Cl. Z22- 4.22)

This invention relates to an instrument for applying, where desired, droplets of liquid, such as oil and ink, and while the same may have use in a diversity of elds, it is more particularly adapted for use as an oil applicator by persons servicing or repairing machines, instruments, electronic devices, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fountain-type of instrument that may be carried on the person in the same way that pens and pencils are carried and, therefore, is available for ready use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an instrument, for the purpose indicated, that is constructed to enable full control of droplet discharge and also accurate control of placement of droplets.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a. longitudinal sectional view of a droplet ap plicator according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and partly broken longitudinal sectional view of the operating parts of said applicator in droplet-applying position.

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged cross-sectiona1 View as taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The droplet applicator that is illustrated comprises generally, a body 5, a cap means 6 on one end of said body, droplet releasing and dispensing means 7 carried by the other end of said body, and means 8 to operate the means 7 carried by said cap means.

The body preferably comprises a transparent tubular member 9 that is provided with internal threads 1t) at the cap end and with an externally threaded extension 11 on the opposite end. The interior 12 of said tubular body constitutes a reservoir or chamber for a suitable liquid such as light lubricating oil. A passage 13 in extension 11 is restricted in size relative to the diametral size of tube l interior 12. Said body is advantageously made of a transparent or highly translucent plastic material so that the level of liquid therein may be visible at all times.

The cap means 6 comprises a tapered cap member 14 `that has an axial through passage 15a and is formed with an externally threaded extension 15 separably engageable with the internal threads of the body 9. A compressible washer 16 is preferably interposed between the end of Ibody 9 and cap member 14 to seal against leakage ICC 2 from the body, the chamber 12 of which may be lilled when the cap member is removed.

The droplet-releasing and dispensing means 7 is shown as comprising a jacket 17 that is nteriorly hollow to comprise a cylinder 18 and is knurled or roughened exteriorly intermediate its ends, as at 19, so as to be securely afxed in passage 13 of the body extension 11. Consequently, one end of jacket 17 extends into reservoir 12 and the opposite end extends outward from the body 9. The latter end is formed with a restricted bore 20 smaller than cylinder 18 and in communication therewith.

A thin-walled and elongated tube 21 is affixed to jacket 17 in the bore 20 thereof and extends from said jacket. Being quite small in diameter, said tube 21 may be readily inserted in confined or restricted places and, according to the length of said tube, in hard-to-reach places below the surface of approach.

The upper end of jacket 17 is provided with apertures 22, as best seen in Fig. 2, the same `beingnormally fully or partly open so that liquid in chamber 12 may enter therethrough into cylinder 18. A plunger 23 is slidingly fitted to said cylinder and is aflixed to a rod 24 that extends, in one direction, centrally through tube 21`and, in the other direction, through passage 15a of cap member 14. i

The end of said rod Ztl that extend-s through tube 21 is fitted with a valve 25 that cooperates with the end of said tube to control flow from the interior of said tube outward of the end thereof. An expansion spring 26 Within cylinder 18 with one end abutted on a shoulder 27 in said jacket and the other end biasing the plunger 23 outwardly from cylinder 18, applies its expansion force to draw valve 25 into flow-stopping engagement with the end 2d of tube 21. With the valve closed, apertures 22 are open (Fig. l) so that liquid may fill the annular space 29 Within tube 21 and around rod The operating means 8 is shown as a linger plunger 30 guided in passage 15a and atlxed to the end of a exible and elastic tube 3]; having an enlarged end 32 that is tightly iitted in said passage and has a flange 33 `that limits the position of said tube 31 `and plunger 30 in the passage. Tube 31 always seeks a straight condition, as shown, and holds the plunger .lil projected. Said tube may crumple or fold under depression of said plunger and, by its elasticity, return to straight condition upon release of the plunger.

Rod 24 extends into engagement with plunger 30 and is depressed thus opening valve 25-28 while simultane- -ously moving plunger 23 to close apertures 22, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein it is shown how a droplet of liquid is ejected from tube 21 when plunger 30 is depressed.

It will be evident that depressing plunger to its limit of movement or to any material degree causes tube end 2S to become wide open and enable dispensing of a large drop of liquid. Lesser degrees of plunger depression can be used to vary the size of the droplet, as desired.

By providing the above-described instrument with a cap E54 that is removably connected to threaded extension lil of the body, the instrument can be safely carried on the person without fear of oil-staining the clothes. Also, tie instrument may be provided with a clip (not shown) in the manner of a fountain pen so as to be adapted to be separably connected to a pocket edge or the like and be readily available for use.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the bestinode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modication without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. lt is, therefore, not desired to restrict assume t? the invention to the particular form of construction illesn trated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

-laving thus escribed the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A drop-dispensing instrument comprising u body having a liquid-containin chamber, a cylinder extending into said chamber and having apertures therein, a plunger slidable in the chamber between a position closing the apertures and a position immediately adje. it r.. ing said apertures, a tube extending outward from n: end of the cylinder and in communication therewith, a rod extending longitudinally through said tube, said cylinder and said chamber and mounting said plunger, an annular space being defined between the tube and rod, und vulve member on the end of said rod and in position to control the open end of the tube according to the position of the plunger relative to the mentioned apertures, so that as the valve is opened, the apertures simultaneously 2. A dropedispensing instrument according to claim l: spring means-within said cylinder normally biasing the rod in a direction to place the valve member' in tube-end closing position and the plunger in aperture-opening position.

3. A drop-dispensing instrument according to claim i spring means within said cylinder normally biasing the rod in a direction to place the valve member in tube-end closing position and the plunger in aperture-opening position, and means directly attached to said rod to move the rod the plunger and valve member thereon to respective apcr'tureclosing and drop-releasing positions.

4. A tubular droplet applicator comprising a tubular body having a liquid-holding chamber, a closure for tbe chamber at one end of said body and embodying a manually depressible member, a flexible elastic tube interconnecting said closure and said plunger, a cylinder mounted within said body at the other end and extending into said chamber, said cylinder having an aperture therein, a tube extending from one end of said cylinder, a rod extending through said chamber, said cylinder and said tube, said rod being connected to said manually epressible member at one end and having a valve at the other end, a plunger aixed to said rod and slidingly titled within said cylinder, said plunger when being positioned immediately adjacent and above said aperture when said applicator is in normal gravity-feeding position, and upon being slightly depressed immediately closing the aperture of said cylinder whereupon said valve, being ixed relative to said plunger, is positioned so as to simultaneously open said valve with the closing of said aperture, and spring means within said cylinder to return all parts to valve ciosinfy position when pressure on said manually depressible means is released.

5. ln a droplet applicator the combination comprising a iacket, a cylinder within said jacket, at least one aper ture in said jacket leading to said cylinder, a tube extending from one end of said jacket, a rod extending through said tube and said cylinder, there being an annular space within said tube and around said rod leading to said cylinder, a valve on the end of said rod extending from said tube, a plunger on the end of said rod extending from `crd the said cylinder and slidingly mounted within said cylinder, said plunger being positioned immediately adjacent said apertures to immediately close said apertures when said rod is depressed 'whereupon said valve, being fixed relative to said plunger, is positioned so as to simultaneously open said valve with the closing of said aperture for releasing a measured droplet, and spring means Within said cylinder encircling said rod.

6. A droplet applicator which comprises: a liquideontai chamber; a closure 'for the chamber at one ci embodying a manually depressable member; a 'tube extending from the other end of said chamber and having an open discharge end; passage means communieating said chamber with said tube; an elongated rod ed to i i depressable member and extending through Ynucr and tube; a plunger ailixed to the intermediate portion of said rod within said chamber and adapted to move from a passage closing position to a passage opening position as said depressabie member is depressed and released, respectively; and a valve member affixed to the rod and adapted to open and close the tube discharge end as said depressable member is depressed and released respectively, the plunger being positionedl immediately adjacent but not completely closing said passage means when said depressable member is in released position, said plunger immediately closing said passage means and said valve being simultaneously opened upon pressure being exerted upon said depressable member.

7. A droplet applicator wi'iich comprises: a liquidcontaining chamber; closure for the chamber at one end thereof embodying a manually depressa'ole member; a vtube extending from within the other end of said chamber and having an open discharge end; aperture means in said tube communicating said chamber with said tube; an elongated rod affixed to seid depressable member and extending through said chamber and tube; a plunger atiixed to said rod within said chamber and adapted to slidably move from aperture closing position to an aperture opening position as said depressable member is depressed and released, respectively; and a valve member ailixcd to the end of the rod and adapted to open and close the tube discharge end said deprcssaole member is depressed and released, respectively, the plunger being positioned immediately adjacent but not completely clos.- ing said aperture means when said depressable member is in released position, said plunger immediately closing said passage means and said valve being simultaneously opened upon slight pressure being exerted upon said dcpressable member to allow a measured droplet of liquid to be discharged.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,213 Perry Aug, 1.3, 1907 l,l83,532 Grayham Ian. 6, 1914 2,198,524 Berwicli et al Apr. 23, 194i) 2,643,80l Kollmeyer lune 30, i953 FOREIGN PATENTS 453,786 Italy Dec. 14, 1949 

